Stop Borrowing From Yourself
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Stop borrowing from your future self. Each day you fail to save is another day where you tighten the ball and chain around your ankle. You deserve better than that.

Mailbag: What Is The One Fund I Should Invest In?
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Here’s how to earn a slow million.

Newlywed To Do List
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While you know about the duplicate wedding gifts to exchange or return, and your mother is reminding you to finish writing Thank You notes, you might not remember all the other things you need to do.

How to Open a Roth for Your Child
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Someone has to be proactive about your child’s retirement and every year you don’t open a retirement account is another year you’re holding back compound interest.

The Benefits of Saving and Investing Early
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Any money you put away and invest now will have the longest time to grow, due to the magic (or actually, the mathematics) of compound interest.

Some College Degrees Not Worth the Investment
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A typical college degree is worth up to a million bucks over a career, but that’s not true for every degree.

David Marotta Quoted on Yahoo Finance Story About Gen Y Savings
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Because of inflation, today’s 20-year-olds will need over $7 million to have the same lifestyle when they retire.

Helpful Mobile Budgeting Tool Free For College Students
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The good people at You Need A Budget (YNAB) have made their budgeting solution free for college students; including part-time students.

Today’s 20-Year Olds Will Need Over $7 Million For Modest Retirement Lifestyle
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Most young people don’t understand inflation as well as their parents and grandparents.

How Much Should I Save for College?
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I’ve learned to develop a thick skin when sharing ideas with the masses but if these commenters represent some general barometer of financial sanity, we appear to be losing the battle.

Newlywed Checklist: Name Change, Part 3
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When a woman gets married she often changes her name. Once you’ve changed your name at the Social Security Administration, the DMV, your employer and employer benefits, and your passport, it’s time for the last few changes.

Newlywed Checklist: Name Change, Part 2
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The DMV was my second stop in the name-change process because it makes subsequent name changes easier.

Newlywed Checklist: Name Change
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For $50 and a lifelong commitment, you can legally change your identity!

The Complete Guide to Your Washing Machine
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The complete guide to saving money while washing your clothes. What temperature should the water be? What cycle should I use? What detergent should I use?

How Do I Open an Investment Account? -Things You Can Do Tomorrow
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Sometimes what stops someone from following advice is just not knowing where to begin or how easy it is. Many personal financial advisors have minimums, so where do you start if you only have a small amount of money to invest?

Bucket List: Living Within Your Means
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So now, after encouraging you to save 10% for emergencies, 15% for financial independence (often called “retirement”), and 10% for long-term savings, we’ve whittled down your income to about 65%. This 65% is for day-to-day living.

The Worst Advice Given to Me
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Milestones in life encourage advice. In 2012, I graduated, got married, and started a job and then this year, I bought a house. I received a lot of great advice, but here is some of the worse advice I was given.

The Complete Guide to Your Clothes Dryer
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The complete guide to saving money while drying your clothes. Should I air dry? Can I line dry inside? Is there ever a case when my dryer is cheaper?

Bucket List: Saving & Investing
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In addition to emergency savings and retirement saving, you should also stash away 10% or so for long-term investing. Let the magic of compound interest make you money.

Eight Worst Money Tips for New Grads
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My recent column, 8 Worst Money Tips for New Grads, was recently published on Yahoo Finance. I originally wrote this column with the voice of a Dutch Uncle admonishing college students to stay out of financial ruin.

Do You Know What Your Appliances Cost You?
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“Don’t air condition the outside” and “Turn the lights off when you leave a room” are often quoted as proverbs of energy savings, but the real savings is in several other appliances.

Help Recent Graduates Find a Fulfilling Career
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This kitten knows his area of genius. Be more like this kitten.

Bucket List: A Bucket for the Unknown
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I opened my freezer and found, to my horror, my ice cream had turned to mush. Why? My refrigerator and freezer were broken. The expense for a new refrigerator was around $700. How could I have seen that expense coming?

Helping New Graduates Get a Financial Life
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Matthew Illian says young adults should read one personal finance book a year to expand their financial literacy. See what books we would recommend.

Five Easy Ways To Save
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This kitten is frugal. Be more like this kitten.

Financial Advice for Recent College Graduates
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Financial advice for college graduates is easy. Graduates street smart enough to take the advice is rare.

Essential Financial Advice for College Graduates
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As the wife of a 2013 college graduate and a 2012 college graduate myself, I can boldly say this was the most helpful advice given to me.

The Dangers of Automated Payments
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This kitten knows how much she spends. Be more like this kitten.

How to Save for College
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These kittens have college savings plans. Be more like these kittens.

Getting Started with Financial Planning: Step One
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This kitten lives below her means. Be more like this kitten.

The 10 Worst Communication Mistakes For Your Career
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And “The Top 6 Communication Skills That Will Get You Promoted”

Can ‘True Love’ Survive Student Loans and Lack of Employment?
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Such a well-intentioned program which steals our youth, our love, our happiness, our faith and our self-esteem.

Youth Vote May Support More Economic Freedom
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In 2008 Obama captured 66% of the youth vote. But unlike the liberal ideological baby boom generation, millennials are more pragmatic. Support for Obama among the 18- to 29-year-old age group has dropped to 48%.

One Income: The Fiscal Challenges for Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads
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Financial planning means supporting the goals of stay-at-home parents to be with their children.

Fund a Teenager’s Million-Dollar Retirement
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We teach teenagers a lot more about sexuality than we do about money. This can confuse them about what they should be learning. Give this article to a teenager and encourage him or her to start a Roth IRA.

Before You Say “I Do”: Money & Marriage Exercise 5
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My wife and I have six of our eight grandparents who are living well into their 80s and 90s.

Before You Say “I Do”: Money & Marriage Exercise 4
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Many people turn to religion when defining these shared values.

Before You Say “I Do”: Money & Marriage
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Couples that fail to prepare for a shared money maturity will likely experience longer and sharper growing pains. Here are several things to talk about before tying the knot.

Before You Say “I Do”: Money & Marriage Exercise 3
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I highly recommend that you plan to live on one salary for the first several years. This is a challenge that too few couples accept.

Before You Say “I Do”: Money & Marriage Exercise 2
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Begin by reflecting on this question: “Imagine you are financially secure, that you have enough money to take care of your needs, now and in the future.

Before You Say “I Do”: Money & Marriage Exercise 1
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Couples that fail to prepare for a shared money maturity will likely experience longer and sharper growing pains.

Mailbag: Is There a Certain Roth You Recommend?
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I’m in my 20s and I’m just getting started in the working world. I’m also looking at a Roth IRA. Is there a certain Roth you recommend?

Mailbag: Which of These 401(k) Investment Choices Do You Recommend?
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I’m in my 20s and I’m just getting started in the working world. Which of the attached 401(k) investment choices do you recommend?

Mailbag: Which Investments Should I Fund First?
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I’m in my 20s and I’m just getting started in the working world. I would love to start funding my Roth and 401(k), but I have no idea where to begin!

Radio: Raising Money-Savvy Children
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David Marotta discusses the importance of teaching your children how to handle money, reasons parents sometimes find it difficult to talk about money, and why it is important to start your children’s financial education early.

Radio: Learning To Live On Your Own
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David Marotta discusses learning to live on your own after college.

Getting Started With Investing
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There isn’t a better time to invest than today. Getting started can be intimidating, but these simple steps will help you through your first few years of investing.

Kiddie Tax Loophole Soon To Disappear
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Use a 529 college savings account to save for college.

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